May - Decoration Day
On May 1, 1865, freed slaves gathered in Charleston, South Carolina to commemorate the death of Union soldiers and the end of the American Civil War. The procession began at 9 a.m. as 2,800 black school children marched by their graves, softly singing “John Brown’s Body.” Soon, their voices would give way to the sermons of preachers, then prayer and — later — picnics. On that day, former Charleston slaves started a tradition that would come to be known as Memorial Day.
Originally known as Decoration Day, although it originated in the years following the Civil War it did not become an official federal holiday until 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season.
1921 Tulsa Race Massacre - Tulsa Historical Society & Museum
The 1921 Attack on Greenwood was one of the most significant events in Tulsa’s history. Following World War I, Tulsa was recognized nationally for its affluent African American community known as the Greenwood District. This thriving business district and surrounding residential area was referred to as “Black Wall Street.”
www.tulsahistory.org/exhibit/1921-tulsa-race-massacre
Oklahoma Bombing: Tulsa Race Riot of 1921
The current situation in Syria wherein their government is bombing its citizens is not unique. In Tulsa in 1921, US military personnel engaged in the first domestic offensive use of air power to drop dynamite on the residents of Tulsa. Specifically, the dynamite was dropped on its black residents.
What Made Emmett Ashford, Major League Baseball's First Black Hero
Umpire mask worn by Emmett Ashford, the first African-American umpire in Major League Baseball, from the collections of the National Museum of African American History and Culture
During his 20-year professional career, his boisterous style endeared him to fans but rankled traditionalists
www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/emmett-ashford-first-black-umpire-180974602
July 2020
Praytell launches corporate allyship practice
Naria Frazer and Stefan Embry are leading the practice.
by Thomas Moore
BROOKLYN, NY — Praytell is launching a new practice designed to help brands promote diversity, equity and inclusion both internally and in the range of dealings with the public.
“It’s clear we’ve reached a turning point. 2020 will be remembered for broadly layered activism amidst a pandemic and a focus on long overdue accountability for institutions small and large,” agency founder Andy Pray wrote in a post. “It’s clear that brand approaches to eiversity, equity and inclusion require a stronger, more intentional and transparent lens.”
The people, culture and allyship practice aims to help brands define their role in the current racial justice movement, and follow through with actions and communications aligned with it, bringing in multicultural experts, artists and activists for a top-to-bottom assessment and plan.
The group will be led by Praytell’s diversity, equity and inclusion lead Naria Frazer (pictured) and account strategy VP of account Stefan Embry, who will work with talent from across the agency. Praytell is donating 15% of net proceeds from all allyship work to support the Black Visions Collective and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
“Brands and other institutions can no longer take from cultures without accountability, check the box on diversity without true equity or take a stand now without reflection of past behavior,” Pray said. “Marketers and communicators play an essential role in guiding corporations and brands with an evolving mandate on trust, consistency and impact.”
40 Under 40 2019 | Stefan Embry
July 29, 2019
A 10-year industry veteran, Stefan Embry has had stints working in communications for hospitality, beauty, telecom, tech and food and beverage companies. At Praytell, where he is an account strategy director who leads the agency’s work on a portfolio of six food and beverage retailers, Embry provides oversight and counsel to both internal team leads and individual brands. He also leads the agency’s corporate citizenship work with MAC Cosmetics and the Estée Lauder Companies, guiding the rollout of the MAC and Praytell-produced feature length documentary, More Than T, with Showtime. And as if that wasn’t enough to keep him busy, he spearheads the agency’s work with the Paper and Packaging Board, a $1 million piece of business that has led to significant creative wins, particularly on the content side.
Praytell has grown quickly, expanding from one to 125 people in just under six years thanks to a model that promotes integrated communications work, such as hiring and training employees who are fluent across social, digital, paid and media relations. With his experience and industry knowledge, which runs both wide and deep, Embry is a living embodiment of this model.
On top of all the above, he is deeply involved in Praytell’s diversity and inclusion initiatives. As a man of color in an industry where people of color are underrepresented, he understands the challenges this presents and is working to drive change. In addition to being a critical part of the agency’s diversity and inclusion team, he leads culture initiatives for Praytell’s Austin office and is a trusted, respected advocate across the company.
- Prior to joining Praytell, Embry worked at Vox Global in Washington, DC, and FleishmanHillard in New York.
- He is currently working on an event series with ColorComm that address the needs of men of color in the advertising and PR world.
- He has a beloved cat whose name is Rodham Knowles Carter Embry Smith.
40 Under 40 2019 | Stefan Embry | PR Week
www.prweek.com/article/1591204/40-40-2019-stefan...
40 Under 40 2019 | Stefan Embry. From PR Week. Skip to Content; ... subscriptions@prweek.com or call +001 (800) 558-1708. In UK & Europe please email support@prweek ...
Global Home - PRWeek
www.prweek.com
Naria Frazer and Stefan Embry are leading the practice. Movers & Shakers: Weber Shandwick, Agent Provocateur, Ogilvy, H+K, Ketchum and more By PRWeek Staff, June 26, 2020
Praytell - Posts | Facebook
www.facebook.com/PraytellAgency/posts
Biggy big news, folks: our very own Stefan Embry and two longtime friends of the agency — Meg Lagesse and Krista Todd — are *literally* in this year's PRWeek 40 Under 40. Should really just be called the (Best) 3 (Humans in the Universe) Under 40 but like, whatever. READ THIS.
New Praytell Practice Focuses On Helping Brands Address Racial InequityPraytell's new people, culture and allyship practice will be led by D&I lead Naria Frazer and account strategy VP Stefan Embry.
Diana Marszalek26 Jun 2020 // 12:59PM GMT
After Austina Bruton graduated with her undergraduate degree, she worked in banking. But she knew she wanted a career that made more of a difference in the lives of children. “At first, I thought I wanted to be a teacher but I talked to several mentors who encouraged me to explore all career possibilities in the field of education. I knew I truly wanted to reach students and advocate for their emotional needs and help them be well-rounded individuals. I realized that school counseling was what I needed to do. I knew it would be a sacrifice to go back to school but I knew EKU was where I needed to be.”
Bruton earned a Master of Arts in Education in school counseling in 2015 from EKU’s College of Education. She worked for several years as a high school counselor at George Rogers Clark High School in Clark County. Last year, she began working as a counselor at Mary Todd Elementary in Fayette County. And in May 2020, she completed her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at EKU to further her skills in meeting the social and behavioral needs of children and adolescents.
“I recommend earning both degrees to best serve students. I can better understand the diverse needs of students as well as help to educate teachers and administrators about the mental health issues of students. I feel that I am even better prepared to engage and reach out to children and adolescents,” said Bruton.
Bruton loves seeing students grow and blossom over time. “As a high school counselor, I was able to help students better understand themselves and figure out their goals. I helped them to learn how to handle the issues in their lives. It’s so rewarding to see students progress from their freshman to senior year. We all know that kids have potential but to see them actually DO what they are capable of, it’s amazing to see that growth. Every year at graduation I would cry tears of joy just like they were my own kids.”
Even though Bruton begins each day by greeting the students, what follows is far from routine. At her elementary school, Bruton has a caseload of students she sees regularly to work on challenges such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, or trauma. “Sometimes one of my students might be having a really bad day, a temper tantrum for example. So, I visit the student’s classroom to help with coping skills and teaching the student how to calm down.”
Sometimes students express thoughts of suicide or harming themselves or others, so she must quickly assess the issue and take immediate action. “I’m thankful I’m there in the building and able to help individual students personally,” said Bruton.
“I’m thankful for EKU and the opportunities they gave me to obtain both my masters. Everybody raves about EKU’s outstanding reputation in the College of Education whether it be teaching, administration, or counseling. EKU’s counseling program has a wonderful, patient faculty who always answered my questions. They are nationally accredited and that matters! I think if anyone as the opportunity to do this program, they will not regret it. EKU trained counselors are better at helping P-12 students and understanding the impact of academics and school culture. It’s a great program!”
To learn more about EKU's College of Education counseling programs, visit https://coecounseling.eku.edu/programs
Contact Information
COUOffice@eku.edu
(859) 622-1124
Published on June 25, 2020
Roots and Reflections
January 2021
James E. “Moose” Hooten celebrated his 101st birthday on Jan. 5, 2021. He was born Jan. 5, 1920, and he has a love for his family. He also loves to watch the Kentucky Wildcats and Cincinnati Reds, and he enjoys taking country rides.
Hooten celebrates
101st birthday
Lamont is a member of the George Rogers Clark band, pep club, captain of the track and field varsity team and a member of the varsity football team. He is secretary and member of the 4H Junior Leadership Club and 4H summer camp counselor. He also participates in KUNA, BCTC Educational Talent Search and is the head youth usher at Broadway Missionary Baptist Church.
He plans to major in mechanical engineering and attend engineering school.
Lamont Kennedy
GRC student Lamont Kennedy named to Youth Salute
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